That would have been applicable if the thread had been titled: "What was Mr. Lincoln's attitude about secession?" Obviously, millions of others had a different opinion. Mr. Lincoln's speeches did not persuade them to change the course they had chosen, so there was a war. (However you wish to classify it).

Addressing what was said in the speech, I would have disagreed with with the statement that slavery was the: "Only substantial dispute" between the sections. They were fundamentally different societies, which became more and more different from each other as time passed.

I would have disagreed with the statement that the Fugitive Slave Act (which I certainly won't defend here) was: "Well enforced." It was pretty much completely disregarded in large areas of the north. Certainly, secession was not a means to recover any fugitive slaves. Secession wrote them off, as was said in the speech. As the southerners saw it, they were lost anyway.

I would have had the opposite view of Mr. Lincoln's statement that a husband and wife can separate, but the sections cannot. I would have invited him to show me where in the US Constitution that secession is forbidden. Of course, he could not do so. But adhering to the Constitution was not his priority, as he proved on more than one occasion.

Mr. Lincoln's main priority was the preservation of the Union- by any means possible. He was willing to make any sacrifices necessary to do so. If he had not been willing to pay any price and use any means that he needed to, then he would not have succeeded.